The Mosetti Job
by inkhands96
Summary: When Nate feels responsible for a girl's kidnapping, the team works to not only save her but to also bring down the company who took her. As they learn more about the girl and her life they all allow her into their hearts...especially one member, in particular.
1. The Kindling

It wasn't uncommon for Nate to call meetings shortly after a job. He didn't like the down time—it gave him too much time to think. The fact that the team hadn't been cleared to leave Nate's apartment upon their closing of their last job, however, was a little alarming.

Although their last job had been an easy heist, the team did want time off. Parker was looking forward to a day of roof hopping, Hardison wanted a day playing his video games, Sophie needed a shopping fix, and Eliot had been looking forward to a leisurely run in the park…without being chased by men with guns. Nate, however, had other plans.

"Nate, seriously man, I had plans," Hardison sighed, rolling his eyes as he sat down in his usual arm chair.

"Your little trolls don't count as plans," Eliot growled, sinking into the end cushion on the couch.

"They aren't trolls," Hardison pouted.

"Enough," Nate snapped. He seemed on edge, which was strange considering the job they just pulled was the easiest they had performed in a while. "I have been meeting with a perspective client for the past few weeks."

The team all looked around the room, checking to see if the other members had known about the meetings. The three younger members finally landed their eyes on Sophie, who had a knowing smile on her face accompanied by a small question in her brown eyes.

"The Mosetti twins came to me a few weeks ago, begging me to look into their case. I thought it was weak and wouldn't turn into anything. Every week they kept coming in, telling me that I had to listen to them and that the problem was growing. I told them to go to the police. We had a full case load and we didn't have time for another one. The Mosettis, however, did have a huge job. One that I shouldn't have ignored. As soon as I saw what they were working with, I started hatching a plan. The people the Mosettis want to take down are the type of people who mean business, and will crush anyone who tries to get in their way. All of our recent cases have been cut and dry—this won't be so easy. I wasn't planning on even looking at this case until next week, but..."

"Nathan, dear, get on with it," Sophie urged, her British accent strangely calming and soft. Nate looked at her, realizing that he had been rambling.

"Cecillio, the brother, came to me this morning. His sister, Alessandra, was taken from their home this morning. He went out for a run and when he got back the house had been trashed, and there was blood in the kitchen where his sister had been making breakfast. Our job is to find her, and to also take down the company that Ale and Lio first approached me about."

"Which would be," Hardison prompted, watching as Nate pulled up photos of a large building on the TV screen. Hardison's usual job as presentation leader was clearly taken for the day, and he was curious to see how Nate did.

"Buchamp Pharmaceuticals. They specialize in heart and pain medications. The pills have been altered to have an addictive aspect, resulting in more sales revenue. The only problem with this is the medication is having adverse effects on the patients. People are becoming addicted to the pills, not only losing money but their health as well. Their blood is thinning, their organs are shutting down, and people are dying. Ale and Lio's father took heart medication provided by Buchamp, and he died of liver failure. He never drank a day in his life. Ale, who was interning at the hospital where her father was cared for once he began his liver failure, knew that something wasn't right. She started sifting around in her patient's files, finding a correlation between Buchamp's drugs and the influx of patients. After finding that most of Buchamp's consumers were falling ill or running into debt, she got a job at Buchamp as a secretary, working to gain information on how their drugs were made. Buchamp took notice of her and bumped her up to his personal secretary, something Lio is sure to tell me was because he is eager to cheat on his wife. As Ale continued to gain information, some of Buchamp's men began watching her. Once she found the defects in the drugs, she was immediately let go, scared into silence with threats on her life. She was told that if she went to the police they would have her killed. Until then, they left her alone. That's where I come in. Once Ale told Lio about the threats on her life, he made her go to the police. He wanted her protected. Ale found me, instead, and I pushed them right into the arms of Boston PD. Ale had men following her constantly, and once she finally went to the police Buchamp put in the order for her kidnapping.

"I am ninety percent sure they will keep Ale alive until they know how much information she has and how much information told the police. According to Lio, they never asked her when they dismissed her from her position at the office, as they were sure she wouldn't go to the police. Now, however, they have to know what is at stake. If we are going to find Ale, we need to get into Buchamp's head. Make him think that there are people, important people, catching on to his crimes. We need to infiltrate every part of his life. His love life, his work life, and the life he thinks is secret from everyone around him. We have to get Ale back, and we have to take down Buchamp. I owe it to both of the Mosettis, and they owe it to their father. He was all they had left…their mother died two years ago of breast cancer. We can't let Lio lose all three of his family members at once. It's not fair," Nate finished, seeming both determined and discouraged. Sophie could tell that he was disappointed in himself, feeling responsible for Alesandra's kidnapping. He was the one who hadn't listened, and he was the one who encouraged her to go to the police.

Nate quickly pulled up pictures of Buchamp and all of his closest cohorts. He ran down a list of his mannerisms, his likes, his dislikes, and his credit card history. Nate ensured that the team knew _exactly_ who they were dealing with. Parker seemed intrigued with the blueprints on the large table, Hardison listened closely as Nate spoke, and Sophie kept her attention on the main screen as Nate ran through the con and life of Ret Buchamp. Eliot, however, couldn't take his eyes off of the picture filling one of the side monitors. In it, the Mosetti twins were laughing as Cecillio pressed Alessandra over his head.

Well, Eliot couldn't take his eyes off of one part of the picture—the part that held Alessandra's piercing green eyes, wide smile, and crinkled nose. Something about the energy of Alessandra pulled him in and lit a fire within him, making him want to find the girl immediately and make the men who took her from her brother and her father from both of them feel the worst kind of pain in the world.


	2. Defender of Men

Lio met the team the next morning, Sophie immediately noticing the deep circles under his eyes.

"Lio, how are you?" Sophie asked, her voice showing sincere concern. She had met the twins once, helping Nate turn them down without making them feel badly about themselves. The man she saw in front of him was completely different than the one she had seen a week before. When Cecillio was with Alessandra the first time Sophie met them, he had a light in his eyes. He was much taller than his sister, but they had the same bright green eyes, mocha complexion, and dark hair. Lio's hair was in soft curls, the ends of his locks falling onto his eyebrows, giving him a boyish, mischievous look. He stood confidently, and he had a cocky, yet sweet smile. Anything that he did centered on what his sister was doing—if she sat down he pulled out the chair for her. If she sounded upset or scared his hand was immediately on hers. If she said something or brought up a time in which she was threatened or mistreated, his chest puffed and a fire burned in his eyes. He genuinely cared for his sister, and it was evident that she was the only thing in the world that he cared about.

The same went for Alessandra. She looked at her brother as if he were superman. She rolled her eyes when he was too protective the way a sister should, and she easily communicated with him with only her eyes. She could calm him with a smile and often masked her true emotions to ensure her brother wouldn't be worried. It was a beautiful relationship, and it was easy to tell that they were connected with each other in the deep, supernatural way experts say twins are.

The Lio Sophie was now seeing was pale beneath his natural tan, his shoulders sagging and his eyes missing their usual light. His curls were hidden beneath a baseball cap, making him seem older.

"I just want Ale back," Lio sighed, Sophie's heart breaking for the boy. The twins were only 22 and they had so much pain to harbor in their hearts.

"We will find her," Sophie promised, sliding her arm in Lio's, leading him into the bar and up to Nate's apartment. The team sat in the living room, waiting on Lio's arrival. For some reason, Eliot was nervous. He wanted to ensure he made a good first impression on Lio, something Eliot usually didn't worry about.

When the door to the apartment opened Parker squealed, pulling her knees to her chest. She was eager to meet Lio—meeting him meant she was one step closer to being able to break into Buchamp Pharmaceuticals. Apparently, it had the dream vent system and some of her favorite security features.

When Sophie walked in with Lio on her arm Nate immediately stood from the dining table, nodding at Lio. Lio nodded back, sitting beside Sophie on the couch. Nate sat on the other side of Lio, leaving Eliot to stand alone behind the couch, Parker curled up in the armchair and Hardison running the con and explaining how the operation would work. Once Hardison finished the presentation Lio looked at Nate, his eyebrows knit together.

"When do we find Alessandra?" he asked, "I just…I know she is never going to talk. She is never going to give up what she knows. Which means that they are going to, you know, make her talk. Alessandra is stubborn and doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut when it comes to authority. She is going to piss them off, and she is going to antagonize them, and she is never going to break. I know she won't. Her body will give out before her heart," Lio explained, looking Nate directly in the eyes.

"A body can up stand weeks of torture," Eliot said growled, his fist tightening at the thought of the man's sister being tortured for weeks at a time.

"Excuse me?" Lio scoffed, standing to look at Eliot.

"I was just saying that a body can stand weeks of torture if the heart and head is strong enough. And the men that have your sister, they are trained. They know how much a person can handle before they give out…they will not let her die if she won't speak. She could be tortured for months. We are going to have her out of there in days. They won't have time to kill her because they will be too concerned with keeping her alive and keeping us off of their tail," Eliot said, softer than before.

Sophie cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, proud of her hitter. Although to others it would seem insensitive, the team, and Lio, seemed to understand that Eliot was helping Lio have hope. He was helping him understand that his sister was going to be alive in time for them to find her.

"About finding her," Hardison said, typing something on his computer.

"What?" Lio asked, turning back to the front of the room.

"While Eliot was talking I continued sifting through Buchamp's computer. I found a live feed called Defender of Men. When I first saw it I thought it would be some kind of eyes on a military base or a war movie…"

"That's Alessandra's name," Lio interrupted, sitting back down. "That's what her name means. Defender of men."

Sophie nodded, taking Lio's hand while Hardison continued explaining how he broke into the stream.

"Are you sure you want to see this?" Nate asked Lio as Hardison prepared to pull up the feed. Lio nodded, leaning back on the couch.

The screen in front of the team went dark for a second, a room quickly taking over the monitor. The only light in the room came from a solitary hanging lamp in the middle of the concrete room. It was easy to see that the camera was pointed directly at the middle of the room, a small figure laying in a ball on the floor. Four anchors laid in the ground around the small body, heavy chains leading from the anchors to the person in the middle of the room.

As if the figure knew it was suddenly on camera, it moved, coming to a sitting position.

Lio's breath caught in his throat, surprised when his sister's face came into view. Her long, thick hair was pulled into a bun on the top of her head, the same way it looked when he left her to go for his run. Alessandra's face was almost unrecognizable, the only normal part of it being her piercing green eyes. Her left eye and cheek were swollen, both of her lips split up the middle. Her body shivered as she sat on the ground, her boxer shorts and camisole obviously not warm enough for the prison room she was being held in.

Suddenly the door the room opened, Alessandra sitting up a bit straighter. The chains on her wrists seemed to dig into her as she crossed her arms across her chest, the chains on her legs clanking as she pulled her legs into pretzel style.

"That's how she used to sit when our Papa caught her stealing. She would refuse to give up whatever she had lifted from his office," Lio laughed quietly, Parker looking at him with wide eyes.

"She stole?" she said, the excitement in her eyes evident.

"She was a great thief. She could pick any lock, and steal any man's wallet without them knowing. She never kept any of it, though. She just liked the challenge. She didn't use her powers until she was a volunteer at the hospital," Lio shrugged, Nate looking at him with a furrowed brow.

"She told me she was an intern and that's how she go the files," Nate said, Lio smiling sadly.

"She was only a volunteer. She is way too young to intern…hell, she isn't even going to be a doctor. She is a very good actress, though, so she made a lot of people believe she was an intern in order to get the information she needed. She volunteered in the geriatric and the pediatric wings…no one from ICU knew her so it was easy for her to get into the main files," he shrugged, Sophie smiling. She knew there was something she liked about the girl.

The team turned their eyes back to the screen, four men in the room with Alessandra.

"_Are you going to share with us what we would like to know?" one of them asked, standing behind Alessandra._

"_I'm not quite sure what you are talking about," Ale shrugged, glaring at the man standing directly in front of her. The man behind her grabbed her bun, yanking it back with such force that Ale fell back and knocked her head against the concrete. She quickly sat back up, making sure to hit the man behind her in the groin with her head as she 'struggled' to sit up._

"_You little bitch," another guard snapped, slapping Ale's face._

"_I could say the same about your buddy over here, who is basically calling for his momma," Ale snapped, nodding towards the guard she hit._

"She is so stupid," Cecillio snapped, standing and storming out on to the fire escape.

The team ignored his outburst, continuing to watch the screen.

The more the guards talked to her, the more Ale sassed them, and the more she was hit. She received countless kicks to the ribs, pipe blows to her exposed legs, and slaps across the face. In a way, Nate was glad Cecillio had been angry enough to walk out, that way he didn't have to watch his sister get tortured.

Watching the girl get hit was hard for the team. Hardison sat on the arm of Parker's chair, allowing her to hide her face in his arm every time Ale received another blow. Sophie flinched every time a guard even neared Alessandra, and Nate watched it all with unwavering eyes, unable to feel responsible for the girl in the room as she was beaten to death. The longer her torture went on the more silent she got and the more angry the guards became.

Eliot had seen his fair share of interrogations, but for some reason, the one taking place in front of him with a girl he didn't even know, was incredibly hard for him to watch. Once the guards finally knocked Ale unconscious, Eliot followed Lio's path to the fire escape, letting out the breath he had been holding since Hardison found the live feed.

"She isn't being stupid," Eliot said, looking at Cecillio. "She is buying time. Your sister, if she was smart enough to figure out what was going on in Buchamp's office, is smart enough to know how these men work. She is smart enough to know that all they want is information and then she's done. She is going to make it as difficult for them as she can. She is going to make them hit her so much that they have to give her a day off from getting hit so she won't shut down. She is buying time. Buchamp is paranoid, and your sister knows that. She knows he won't let his guards kill her."

"How do you know so much about this?" Lio asked, looking at Eliot. He wasn't angry. He was calm. He felt a kinship with the man with long hair and harsh eyes…something about him gave him confidence in the team that sat in the apartment. The man standing in front of him seemed to know things and understand the people who were holding his sister captive—he seemed to be capable of the same things they were—but the difference was he was there, with Nathan Ford, and he was on _his_ side.

It wasn't difficult for Hardison to find the source of the video feed the team had been watching. The problem was, the source was the house of an eighty year old woman who had way too many cats for Eliot and Hardison to count. Whoever was in charge of the feed was bouncing the signal off of another beacon, sending the team on a wild goose chase.

As Parker climbed into the air vents of Buchamp Pharmaceuticals, Sophie gained her visitor's pass from the front desk and Nathan flashed a fancy badge to one of Buchamp's men, securing his position as Health Inspector Daniels. It was a weak cover, but the badge was legitimate and would cause Buchamp to be on his best behavior for as long as possible.

Sophie easily gained access to the floor where Buchamp's office laid, making sure to catch his attention when she dropped her purse on the ground. Ten minutes later Sophie had a lunch date with the man who was slowly killing America.

As the con ran smoothly inside, Hardison, Eliot, and Lio sat in Lucille, Hardison's van, watching both the team and Alessandra on different monitors.

"So, tell me about Alessandra," Eliot said softly, noticing how tense Lio was watching his sister on the screen. Hardison had turned the sound off on both of the monitors, listening to the com in his ear instead of the shotty signal from the cameras he had hacked into at Buchamp.

"She is a handful," Cecillio laughed. "But she is amazing. When our Mama was sick, Ale dropped out of school to take care of her. Our Papa had to keep working to pay the bills and I was too afraid of Mama's disease to help her with anything. But Ale…she sat with our Mama day after day for three years, taking her to her hospital visits, caring for her with so much love and tenderness you would have thought she was a saint. It was tough towards the end, watching Mama struggle, but Ale still smiled, and made Papa and me and Mama smile. We would all sit in Mama's room, Papa holding Mama's hand, Ale sitting in a chair beside her bed, and me on the hope chest at Mama's feet, and we would spend hours just sitting. I would do homework or read while Papa finished his work quietly. Ale would never do anything but sit, though. She would watch Mama, constantly, always knowing if she needed something. She would start telling family stories just to see Mama smile, and to get Papa to stop worrying for just a minute. At night when Mama finally could take her sleeping pill, Ale would sing for an hour until she was sure Mama was asleep, as she hated feeling alone. Ale would then creep into Papa's study and give him a cup of tea, sending him off to bed, as well. Then she would stay up all night and do the school work she was missing out on, slipping it into my backpack for me to take to school and turn in for her. Day after day she did this, always making sure Papa and I had dinner each night and that Mama was comfortable as the Lord prepared to take her away.

"When Mama finally passed, Ale took care of everything. She and my mom had planned the entire funeral together, and all that had to be done was make a few phone calls. Sure enough, Ale had it done before my father ever had a chance to worry.

"When Papa was sick, she cared for him just as carefully and diligently and happily as she cared for Mama. It was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

"The funny thing about Alessandra, though, is how many different sides to her there is. There is the stubborn side, that sassed my parents and got a tattoo just because my parents told her not to. There is the caring side, that bravely led Mama and Papa to rest peacefully. There is the funny side, that can make anyone, even the most cynical person, laugh. There is the freakishly smart side, that proves my sister truly is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. And then there is the sweet side, that just makes you happy no matter what. All of those parts of her are guarded by Ale's strength. Her name means defender of men because that's what she does…she lives to fight for what's right. She is my best friend. And what she is doing in that cell, that is Alessandra all the way. That is her stubborn, and caring, and funny, and sweet, and strong side shielding her," Cecillio finished, the entire team stopping in their tracks as he spoke. He didn't know he was on the coms, and nobody planned on telling him. The most magical part about it, though, was that, as his words danced softly between the team, they all began to love Alessandra just as much as Lio did.

"She sounds like a lovely woman, and I can't wait to meet her," Eliot drawled, his eyes never leaving the screen where Ale sat, curled in a ball, her body still trembling. He had to find where she was. It was his job to protect the team, and after what he just heard from Lio—from what they _all_ just heard from Lio—she had a piece of all of them in her.

It was his job to protect her.


	3. Eliot's Turn

"Something is wrong," Cecillio said, the team all looking up from their different activities. Sophie was flipping mindlessly through a magazine, thinking about how she could get closer to Buchamp. Hardison was working on overriding the security features on Buchamp's personal computer (which Parker had stolen), Eliot was icing his bruised hand, Parker was eating fortune cookies, and Nate was watching his team, and watching as Lio sat quietly in the corner.

It had been two days since the team infiltrated Buchamp's life, and Sophie and Nate had him on the edge. Buchamp was calling countless new security measures in the office and at home. Currently, it was midnight and none of the team could sleep so they resorted to sitting in silence in Nate's apartment. They had been turning the feed with Alessandra off every night since she usually wasn't bothered.

"What do you mean something is wrong?" Nate asked, looking at Cecillio.

"Something is wrong with Alessandra. I can feel it," he stressed, Nate nodding at Hardison. He typed something on his laptop, his eyes widening.

"What is it?" Lio asked, standing.

"You don't want to see this," Hardison said, looking at Lio.

"Put it on the screen," Lio said lowly, Hardison looking at Nate.

"Sophie, Parker, why don't you go make sure that the bar is closed up," Nate sighed, Sophie nodding. Once they were gone Hardison put Alessandra up on the screen. There was only one guard in the room, him taunting Alessandra. Eventually, he was forcing her to kiss him, slapping her any time she refused.

The man continued to impress himself upon her, Lio standing straight in front of the screen.

"He's not going to make her—" Cecillio started to ask, silenced by the sound of Ale screaming.

"Turn it off," Nate snapped, Hardison easily complying.

"We have to find her," Lio said, looking to Nate. Lio had tears in his eyes, and the pain was evident on his face. "Please. We can't let her do this anymore. I know you said a body can stand weeks of torture, Eliot, but I don't want my sister to have to do that."

Hardison, Nate, and Eliot nodded, knowing that they had to step up the game and quit worrying about the con. It was about Ale now, and they couldn't forget that.

After what Eliot had seen on the screen the night before he had been angry and impossible the talk to. To hurt an innocent girl—to take away such a large part of her—just because she was trying to save people, was wrong.

"Nate, can we talk?" Eliot grumbled, looking at the older man who seemed to grow older since the night before.

"What's up, Eliot?" Nate asked, fastening his cuff links.

"I have been watching the guards in Buchamp's office and in Alessandra's cell. They are on a strict rotation. I mapped it out. If we can follow one of them, we can get to Ale."

Nate was shocked. Usually Eliot did what he was told, not thinking and not second guessing. There was a fire in his eyes, however, that Nate had never seen before. And Eliot figured something out that he had missed, and it was going to save Ale.

"Take point on this Eliot. Let's get that girl back to her brother."


	4. The Retrieval

_It was getting harder for Alessandra to anger the guards. She was still angry with them, but taunting them and getting angry at them took too much energy that she didn't have. She was starting to feel the full extent of her pain. As much as she wanted to fight the guards tooth and nail, she just couldn't any more. _

_Logically, her body could stand up to weeks of torture—she knew that. Her Papa wouldn't want her to do that, though, and neither would her Mama. They went through years of torture and all it ever got them was dead._

"_You losing your fight? We finally breaking you in?" the guard she had learned to hate the night they were left alone together said._

"_You wish," Ale snarled, bracing herself for the blow that was sure to follow._

"_We have been very nice to you," the man snarled back, slapping Ale's face. "All we want to know is what you know. And then you are free," he smiled._

"_I won't be free. I will be dead. I will rot in the ground. Because of you people, I am already dead. If you kill me, it will be no different. The only way I will be free is if you let me go, and we both know that is not going to happen," Alessandra said, the man laughing. He pulled a knife out of his ankle strap, slashing her arm. He made another cut to match on the other arm and two on each thigh. Ale spat in the man's face, only instigating him to kicking her ribs._

"_I will break you," he snarled, his angry eyes being the last thing she saw before she blacked out._

"Are you sure you're ready?" Eliot asked Cecillio as they pulled out of Buchamp Pharmaceuticals to follow the guards. Lio nodded meekly, still watching the monitor. It was Lio's, Eliot's, Parker and Hardison's job to go in and get Alessandra while Nate and Sophie waited to drive away with Lucille.

"I just want my sister back," he sighed.

"You do understand that she won't look like herself. She might not even act like herself. What she has gone through…it's going to change her forever," Eliot explained, Lio nodding.

"Now, when we get in there, Parker stays behind me. She needs to be there to get any doors open. Lio, you use your boxing skills but leave any hard hitting to me. Hardison, use whatever information you can to hack into the systems in the building to force as many guards out as possible. The less people we have to encounter, the less we have to get through to find Alessandra. We need to stay as a group. If Alessandra sees anyone but Lio she might panic. Most importantly, if you feel bad at all about what we might have to do to the people inside that building, just remember why we are doing it. The good outweighs the bad," Eliot explained, Nate and Sophie listening from the front of the van.

"I won't feel bad about it," Hardison shrugged, surprised at the amount of anger he felt. He had never been one to like fighting or hurting people. He much preferred his computer world and getting even with people while ruining their lives from behind the computer screen. After he saw the guards beat Alessandra over and over again, and after he heard the scream Alessandra let out the night the guard raped her, however, he wanted nothing more than to kill them. He was the one who had to watch the monitors day after day, watching for any signs or clues as to where the girl was being held captive. He was grateful when Eliot found a way to find Alessandra so that he didn't have to listen and watch anymore.

Parker was also excited to find the girl. She didn't think it was fair that she was being hurt because she wanted to help people, and she also didn't want Cecillio to lose his sister. Losing a sibling was hard, whether you were twenty two or eight years old. Parker also had a small hope that, once she was better, she would be friends with Parker and they could steal things together. The girl could help her put the things back, too, which Parker was never good at.

They finally reached the destination, Eliot and the rest of the team waiting until the first team of guards left for the night. Once they felt it was clear, the three members and Cecillio all headed into the building, guards immediately greeting them at the entrance.

Nate had told Eliot to take point on this one, and that is exactly what he did.

"_You have a brother. Cecillio," the guard said, looking at Alessandra for any indication that her brother was her weak spot._

"_What's your point?" Alessandra said, her voice barely audible. It hurt to breathe, let alone speak. _

"_We can find him, just like we found you. Unless you talk, we will kill him," the guard explained, as if the threat was the push Ale needed to spill her secrets._

"_Your threats are useless," Ale shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest. "I'm not going to tell you what I know. In fact, I don't even know what you think I know about. It seems to me like you are the one with secrets. Have anything you would like to share?" Alessandra asked, the guard overcome with rage. He was about to strike Ale when he put his hand to his ear, his brows furrowing._

"_Damnit," he growled, giving Ale a kick in the back before he stormed out of the room._

_It was only then that Ale allowed the fear to overtake her. She couldn't let her brother die because of her…if her Papa knew that either one of them died in his name, he would turn over ten times in his grave, let alone if both of them died. She had done her best to hide her true identity from the guards and Buchamp and anyone she encountered. She was good at forging personal information online and was hoping that her covers would have been good enough to keep her brother off of the radar._

_Her wishes had been in vain._

'_Maybe it is time to just give in' Ale thought to herself. After all, they were going to get Lio if she didn't talk, but she also couldn't betray her father by revealing the information she had worked so hard to get. For the first time since the men had taken her from her home, Ale was second guessing her actions._

_She should have just left well enough alone, or waited for Nathan Ford a little longer. Instead, she let her emotions get the better of her and she went to the police. Mama had always warned her that her heart would get her in trouble. She felt too deeply, according to her Papa. Alessandra couldn't help it…she was addicted to helping make the world better, no matter how small or large a task it was._

_Just as Alessandra allowed tears to fall down her face the door to the room whipped open, four new faces standing in the dimly lit doorway. Alessandra took in the faces of the four strangers, realizing quickly that one of them wasn't so strange._

"_Cecillio Lorenzeo Moertti, I told you not to get involved with this," Ale scolded, her eyes showing nothing but relief._

"_And I told you not to get yourself dead," Lio scolded back, immediately rushing over to Alessandra. A blonde haired girl slipped in behind him, kneeling next to Ale._

"_I'm going to get these off of you. I'm sorry if it hurts," she said softly. Ale looked at her brother, knowing that he had found these people to help him find her._

"_You found them for me?" Ale asked, watching the blonde girl as she carefully got the shackles off her wrists._

"_That Nathan Ford you told me about had them. It wasn't that much work," he shrugged. Ale laughed, immediately wincing. _

"_I'm so tired, Lio," Ale sighed, her eyes starting to close. Lio looked worriedly at the man in the doorway who walked over to Lio and Ale, whispering something in Lio's ear._

"_It's okay, Ale. Just rest now. It is your turn to be free," Lio said, lifting Ale into his arms as the blonde girl got the last restraint off of Ale._

_Alessandra would have to remember to thank her later._

"Nate, they have her," Hardison whispered, looking at Lio, Eliot, and Parker as they huddled around Ale, Parker freeing her, Lio comforting her, and Eliot giving Lio the strength he needed to stay strong for her.

Once Ale was freed from her chains, Lio carried her into the hallway, Hardison using the cameras of the building he had hacked into upon arrival to check any hallways they had to go through for remaining guards.

"Yo, theres one left, and he's in the hallway behind us," Hardison warned, looking back at the group.

"Hardison, go with Lio and Parker and get Alessandra to the van. I can handle one guard," Eliot said, Hardison starting to rush towards the exit.

"Who is it?" Lio asked, looking at Hardison.

"The guard from the other night," Hardison explained, Lio nodding.

"I'm not letting him die at your hands. He will feel the pain of what he did to my sister from me," Lio said, handing Ale off to Hardison. "Take her and Parker to the van. If Eliot can handle one guard then we can both do it with no problem."

Eliot could see that there was no way Lio was going to go without killing the man who killed a bit of his sister.

"Go," Eliot nodded, looking at Hardison and Parker, as well as the beaten girl in Hardison's arms. The two members of the team listened, rushing to the exit.

Eliot and Lio headed down the hallway they had just come from, the guard literally running straight into their path. Eliot watched as Lio fought with the man, definitely holding his own. When the guard was on the ground, close to unconsciousness, Lio stared into his eyes.

"That is for my sister. You did not break her. She is too strong to be ruined by an animal like you," Lio seethed. As the two walked away Eliot ducked at the sound of a gunshot, immediately looking for the source. The guard on the ground had fired a shot just before he fully succumbed to darkness. Eliot looked at Lio, a red flower immediately blooming from his side.

"Get me that gun," Lio grunted, Eliot slinging an arm around him. Eliot led Lio over to the man and handed him the gun, watching as Lio easily pulled the trigger, creating eternal darkness for the man who brought darkness for his sister. Eliot then helped Lio to the van, Hardison and Parker looking at him with widened eyes.

"What happened?" Hardison asked.

"I forgot to check for a weapon," Eliot grunted, disappointed in himself. He had been so worried about getting back to Alessandra to check her injuries that he had let Lio take point on the guard. He knew Lio needed to take the guy out…it was just something he had to do as Ale's brother.

"Lio?" Ale's voice called, it being barely audible.

"Tis but a scratch," Lio answered, his eyes starting to close. Eliot took off his jacket, pressing it onto Lio's wound as Nate drove away, Sophie listened from the seat, and Hardison and Parker watched. Ale was laying on the bench across the back of the van, curled in a ball. Before Hardison or Parker could stop her she was on the ground, pulling Lio's head into her lap.

"You should be resting," Lio sputtered, Ale wincing as Nate drove over a bump.

"And you shouldn't have gotten shot," she said, tears falling down her face. Eliot watched as Ale fought to stay sitting up and stay conscious, the pain written all over her face. Parker reached for Hardison's hand, the sight of the two siblings in front of her frightening her.

"I'm sorry, Ale. For what those men did to you and for getting shot. I don't want to leave you alone here," he struggled, wincing. Ale grabbed for his hand looking around the van at the people who had helped rescue her.

"Cecillio, it's okay. You can go. I'll be okay. They need you up there," Ale whispered.

"I can't," Lio cried, struggling to breathe.

"Let go Lio. We will see each other soon," Ale smiled, her eyes showing nothing but strength and sincerity. Sophie knew Ale was only trying to help her brother die in peace, but she could only imagine how scared she was for her brother to go and to be left alone in the world. It was at that moment that Sophie decided she wouldn't let Ale ever be alone again.

"Sing. Please," Lio choked out, a bit of blood spurting from his lips.

Alessandra immediately started singing what sounded like a lullaby in Italian, singing until she was sure her brother was gone. Once his chest stopped rising and falling she seemed to succumb to the pain that was plaguing her body, Parker being the one to catch her before she fell backwards into the side of the van. Parker laid her down softly, Eliot staying in his spot by her brother's side. It was his fault that Alessandra was alone in the world, and he, much like Sophie, wanted to ensure she would never have to be alone again. 

**A/N: It was a very hard decision to kill of Cecillio. I wasn't sure I wanted Alessandra to have to deal with losing her brother. I did, however, want to give her a reason to stay with the Leverage crew and with Eliot, at least for a little while. **

**Also, Alessandra's nickname, Ale is pronounced Allie—it is just spelled differently to match her given name.**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me, as this is my first fan fiction and my first writing anywhere for others to see. **

**There will be more chapters up as soon as possible, and thank you, again, for reading.**


	5. Not Alone

The team had easily agreed that they should wait for Alessandra to wake up before they had a burial for Cecillio. They had also agreed that Ale would stay in Nate's apartment in the extra room so she could be cared for at all times and wouldn't ever be left alone. Nate made the decision that the team wouldn't take on any new cases until Ale was healthier, as well.

The team had just arrived back at the apartment, each of them having a different errand to run, save for Parker, who was in charge of watching Ale for the short time the team was gone. They were surprised to find the couch moved to the window, Ale in a ball on the couch. Parker was sitting close by, up in the rafters, watching Alessandra sleep. She had made sure to bring down the IV with her hydration fluids in it and put it back into her arm. She also made sure to put a blanket on her, since that's what she had seen Sophie do the night before.

Eliot was angry that Parker had moved Ale, and Nate was a little worried she had hurt her. Hardison didn't bother worrying about it, figuring that Nate and the others would handle it.

"Parker, what were you thinking?" Eliot snapped, Parker popping down from the rafters.

"When your plants are dying you give them more sun and water. She already had water and I didn't want her to die so I put her in the sun," Parker shrugged, Sophie smiling. Eliot smiled a bit too, glad that Parker was showing some kind of emotion towards Ale. Everyone had been worried Parker wouldn't receive the new house guest well, but Parker had been surprisingly excited by her and sat for hours watching as the others cared for her.

"That was nice of you, Parker, but she really shouldn't be moved around," Eliot said softly.

Suddenly, the team saw Ale move a bit on the sofa. She started to sit up, Eliot immediately rushing over to her and helping her sit back down.

"Easy, darlin'. You still have some pretty hurt ribs," Eliot drawled, his eyes softening as Ale's filled with tears.

"My arm," she rasped out, Eliot looking her over.

"Does it hurt, darling?" Sophie cued, looking over Eliot's shoulder.

"The information…it's in a chip, in my arm. We have to get it out," Ale said, taking a deep breath.

"We can wait a little while," Sophie assured her, Eliot watching Ale's reaction.

"No, we can't. He is going to start sending the medicine overseas. We need him to stop…now," she pleaded, looking at Eliot as if he would understand the need to help people.

"You don't need to worry about that," Eliot said softly, Ale's eyes hardening.

"Please. Just get me a knife."

Sophie looked at Eliot, who nodded slightly. Sophie went to the kitchen, getting one of the steak knives and disinfecting it with some rubbing alcohol. She brought it back to Eliot, putting it in his hands.

"Where do I cut, darlin'?" Eliot asked, Sophie looking away as Ale pointed to a spot on her bicep. Eliot made a small cut, using the tip of the knife to get the small chip wrapped in plastic out of Ale's arm. He stitched the cut back up, only adding to her other stitched cuts.

"It's all on there. Everything you need to take him down is in there," Ale stressed, her eyes starting to close again.

"We will take good care of it," Sophie assured her, handing the chip to Hardison. Just as Ale was about to go to sleep again she looked at Eliot, who was looking at the healing cuts on her legs.

"He liked you, you know. He was calmer when you were near him. Thanks for that," she sighed, her eyes closing fully. Eliot just looked at the girl, surprised that she had thanked him for getting her brother killed.

"Hardison, get that information out here. Immediately. Call all of the news stations, send them the information. Put it on every single social media site you can. And make sure that Buchamp's name is in every single report. Put it all on him. Got it?" Nate said, watching as Eliot continued to check over Ale's injuries.

Upon his first examination of Ale the night of her rescue, Eliot found that Ale had four broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, was extremely dehydrated and malnourished, and had too many bruises to count. He was going to be in a lot of pain for a while, but she was expected to make a full recovery…physically. Eliot also called in one of his doctor friends and had her fun a full test on Ale to make sure she didn't have any internal bleeding and wasn't left with any…permanent…damage from the guard who raped her.

Now it was simply a waiting game as Ale tried to get some of her strength back. The team was also enjoying having time off. Sophie was staring in a play, Hardison found some new game to play, and Parker was stealing God knows what while she also worked on new harnesses and rigs for upcoming jobs.

Eliot hardly ever left the apartment, always watching over Ale. He was the protector of the team, and for the time being, that included Alessandra. Nate had also stayed in a lot, spending hours just looking at the picture of Ale and Lio from the presentation Hardison showed. Nate couldn't but help feel responsible for the condition Ale was in as well as the death of her brother. If he had just _listened_, Lio might still be alive and Ale would be perfectly healthy.

Nate also knew that Eliot felt the same way. He felt it was his fault that Lio was shot. That is why he was sitting vigil by Alessandra's bed. Nate was worried about his hitter…he has never been that attached to a client.

Later that night, after Hardison and Parker went to go grab dinner for themselves and Eliot continued to sit in the arm chair next to Ale's bed in the guest room (where Eliot had been sure to move her back to), Nate and Sophie sat at the dining room table, eating the dinner Nate had cooked for them.

"I'm worried about Eliot," Nate said suddenly, Sophie taking a drink of her wine.

"And why is that?" Sophie asked, Nate widening his eyes as if it was obvious.

"He is attached to Alessandra. It as if he is obsessed with righting his wrong by simply sitting vigil while Ale heals. It's unhealthy."

"Much like you stare at the picture of Ale and her brother, right?" Sophie said softly, Nate nodding.

"I working through it. But Eliot keeps everything bottled up."

"Eliot doesn't just feel guilty, Nate. I think he feels something for Ale. While we were working to find Ale, Lio talked about her constantly, and it was always to Eliot. Lio trusted him. I asked Lio about it and he said that that the fact that a man who was capable of the same thing the men who had Ale were capable of was on the good side and was so appalled with their actions gave him hope. Lio looked to Eliot to help him through Ale being tortured. And Eliot, all the while, listened to stories about Ale and learned about her and her family. That day we all heard about Ale…that was only the beginning of what Eliot learned. We all felt connected to Ale after that day—imagine how much more connected Eliot got as time wore on. She is an amazing girl and Eliot saw that through Lio's eyes. She is such a wonderful girl. She took care of her parents, she is funny, strong, and she has a bit of rebel in her. And when her brother was dying, and she knew she was going to be alone, she still sent him off with a smile and a song so that he wouldn't die feeling guilty. Her strength is compelling, and all of the other parts of her, the parts that pulled us in, are even more magnetic for Eliot. I wouldn't be worried about it unless she leaves, or is worse for the wear…then you may lose your hitter, as well."

_The next time Alessandra woke up was much more relaxed than the time before. When she woke up the first time she was panicked, worried she wouldn't get the information to someone in time to stop Buchamp from going international. This time, however, it was slow and calm, and because her body was ready to be awake._

_That is, it thought it was ready. Ale wasn't so sure she wanted to be awake to feel the pain in her body. Everything hurt…it hurt to breathe, to move, and to simply just lay there. And then there was her heart—that is what hurt most of all. She missed Lio fiercely, and wished that she was still in the torture room so that he could still be alive._

_While Ale was sleeping she would have moments where she could hear what was going on around her but was too weak to open her eyes. She knew that the British woman often took care of her, as did the man with the southern drawl. She always felt most calm when he was there—Lio had whispered that he was a good guy in her ear when they first saw each other upon her rescue. Something about the man's voice made Ale feel safe, and she liked knowing that he was around. There was a deeper, rougher voice that occasionally read her the paper. She recognized it as Nate Ford's voice…and it was much kinder than when he had turned her and her brother away from the Leverage team. There was also the man who carried her out to the van, Hardison, and the girl who freed her wrists, Parker. They usually came in together and watched movies in her room while they argued over they were realistic or if either one of the two could have done something better than the actor in the movie._

_Ale liked the team; she got to hear their most relaxed personality traits, as they thought she was asleep. After all, a team like Leverage wouldn't usually let their guards down in front of a complete stranger._

_Ale opened her eyes, looking around the room she was in. It was different from the one she was first in. This one was dimmer and didn't hurt her eyes. She also didn't feel so revealed, which she liked. _

_Alessandra started to sit up slowly, immediately regretting it. When she winced, someone was at her side immediately. She recognized the blonde girl who had taken off her shackles._

"_You're awake," she said matter-of-factly. _

"_Yes. I am. And you are the one who took the chains off my wrists. I told myself I would thank you later so…thank you," Ale smiled. _

"_I like picking locks. I'm Parker. And you're Alessandra so you don't have to tell me. Maybe we could pick locks together sometimes. Before your brother died, he told me you used to do that," Parker said, squinting her eyes to look at Ale. _

"_Parker, we told you not to bring that up," a gruff voice said, Nate showing up in the doorway of Ale's room._

"_It's alright. Lio was right. I was a very good lock pick. Still am. I'll race you some time, okay?" Ale smiled, looking at Parker. _

"_I'm so gonna win!" Parker said, practically running out of the room. Nate and Ale could hear her talking to the team, yelling about how Ale was going to race her in lock picking. _

"_I'm sorry for her. She has a hard time…communicating," Nate winced, not sure how to explain Parker to a complete stranger._

"_Don't apologize. I like her," Ale shrugged. "Thank you, Mr. Ford, for rescuing me," she smiled, Nate walking into the room. "Can I ask one more favor?"_

"_Anything," Nate nodded._

"_Stop looking so guilty. It makes me sad and I think we can save that for later, yes?" Ale asked, her presence just as commanding as it had been when she first walked into McRory's bar. It was quieter, and sadder, but it was still commanding._

"_Of course. Now that you are awake, would like you like something to eat so that you can take some pain medication?" Nate asked, smiling at the excitement in Ale's eyes._

"_Yes, please. My mind is ready to be awake but the body, not so much," Ale laughed. Nate walked over to Ale's bed, helping her stand. A wave of dizziness immediately rode over her, Nate catching her under the arms. The pain Ale was feeling was insurmountable, but Ale was determined to get wherever Nate was planning on going._

"_How do you want to do this?" Nate asked, afraid to touch Ale for fear of hurting her._

"_That is a great question, considering every part of my body feels like it's broken," Ale said softly._

_Nate laughed softly, surprised at how well Ale was reacting to being awake and to Lio being gone. He was also surprised at how well she was receiving the team. After her recent experience of being kidnapped and tortured, he was sure that she would be much more timid and afraid. Then again, nothing Lio had shared about Ale had led the team to believe she was like any other girl out there._

_Nate and Ale deciding on having Ale walk, as the only support that would have been helpful was an arm wrapped around her waist, and that hurt way too much to even think about. _

_Ale and Nate slowly made their way down the stairs, Ale having to stop and catch her breath often. It was heartbreaking to watch Ale be in so much pain, but to be so determined to walk on her own. Nate was shocked at the affect it had on him, and he wanted nothing more than to help the girl._

Eliot, Sophie, and Hardison had been listening to Parker talk about how easily she was going to beat Ale at picking locks for the past twenty minutes and how she had so many different locks they could test.

"Parker, sweetie, that sounds wonderful. But you should wait until Ale is even awake to start planning week long activities with her," Sophie said, laughing a bit at Parker's rolled eyes.

"But she _is_ awake," Parker scoffed, Eliot immediately freezing from his spot at the cutting board. He walked into the living room, looking at Parker. She didn't seem fazed at the affect that her words had on the room.

"You could have told us that, first," Hardison laughed.

"Nate was with her," Parker shrugged. "Didn't think it was important."

A sound from the stairs pulled the attention away from Parker, Eliot, Sophie, Hardison and Parker watching as Ale slowly made her way down the winding stairs that led to the sleeping quarters above the living room.

She stopped halfway down, Nate saying something softly to her, Ale laughing a bit. She immediately winced, looking at Nate.

"I told you to hold off on the jokes until I was on the medication," she sighed, her voice sounding weak, yet light and cheery.

"You can have guilty or you can have funny. Your choice," Nate joked, Ale smiling.

"Not being picky. Just letting you know my preferences," she said, finally making it to the bottom of the stairs. "Where to?" Ale asked, looking at Nate.

"Think you can sit up?" Nate asked, Ale looking at him with wide eyes.

"I just walked for the first time in weeks, walked down some steep stairs, and had to deal with a man who thinks he's Jerry Seinfeld, and you want to know if I can sit up?" she asked, getting a laugh from the whole room. Eliot wiped his hands, walking over to Nate and Ale.

"_May I?" he said softly, Ale widening her eyes. She stepped closer to Nate, surprised at how the man's blue eyes matched the voice she had heard perfectly. Now that she wasn't panicked, and wasn't being severely tortured, Ale couldn't help but feel a connection with this man…as if she had known him her whole life._

"I'm not going to hurt you," Eliot assured her, a bit hurt by the small step she took closer to Nate. He was hoping that Ale wouldn't be afraid of him just because he looked like the men who held her captive.

"I know," Ale quickly recovered, smiling. "I just…it hurts, if you touch any part of my body. Hell, it hurts just standing here."

Eliot nodded, understanding.

"Trust me?" he asked, looking into Ale's eyes. They were so green, and so aware. And they were beautiful. Ale nodded slightly, sucking in a breath as Eliot scooped her into his arms.

"You alright?" he asked, looking down at Ale.

"Surpisingly yes. Considering," she smiled weakly.

"Considering," Eliot laughed, easily carrying her over to the couch. He laid her down gently, having her lay with a pillow under her ribs.

"Told you she was awake," Parke said, Eliot rolling his eyes, Ale laughing.

'_Don't worry, Lio,' Ale thought to herself. 'I am not alone.'_


	6. Pain

"I'm going to check on Ale," Eliot sighed, standing from the dinner table. It had only been a week since Ale woke up, but she was doing much better than the day she first opened her eyes. She was still in a lot of pain, which the team could easily tell no matter how hard Alessandra tried to hide it, but she was able to stay awake longer and was getting her appetite back.

"Bring her a plate," Nate said, pouring another glass of wine for Sophie.

Eliot rolled his eyes, taking an already prepared plate out of the microwave. Upon his arrival at Ale's door, he heard her mumbling softly to herself. He pushed his way into the room, Ale thrashing about her bed.

"Please," she begged, her voice full of panic and fear. Eliot easily recognized her nightmare, knowing he needed to wake her up before she couldn't get back out.

"Alessandra," Eliot said gently, shaking her shoulder. Ale grabbed his hand, sitting up quickly. She let out a small yelp, Eliot helping her lay back down. Ale slowly woke up the rest of the way, looking at Eliot the whole time.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "It was just so real."

Eliot hated seeing Ale so scared. She had been pretty normal the past few days, only zoning out once and a while. She had been social with all of the team members, many nights ending in group game nights or movies, and every night ended with Eliot carrying Ale to bed after she fell asleep.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Eliot said softly, Ale nodding. "How about some dinner?"

"That would be great, actually," Ale smiled, letting Eliot get her in a semi-comfortable sitting position.

Eliot and Ale talked about hockey while Ale picked lightly at her food.

"We need to have a funeral," Ale said suddenly, Eliot looking at her. Her eyes weren't sad…instead they held a bit of worry, and a whole lot of love. "He deserves it."

Eliot was silent for a moment, surprised that Ale was able to go from talking about hockey to Lio so quickly and seamlessly, and surprised that she didn't completely fall apart. Then again, Ale was strong—no one could argue with that.

"We were waiting until you were better," Eliot said, Ale laughing softly.

"I think that is going to take a while. We need to do this. Soon. I can't let the fact that I am hurt get in the way of remembering my brother. He died because of me, and he shouldn't be ignored because of me, as well."

Eliot was about to interrupt Ale but she held up her finger, rolling her eyes.

"Save it. I know it was not my fault, directly. I just…I need to make sure this is perfect. If we wait until I am one hundred percent better, it will be too long. Do you think the team would help me?" Ale asked, sounding guilty.

"Of course we will help, darlin'," he nodded.

"Help me downstairs?" Ale asked hopefully.

"You know, I think you are starting to like the free rides up and down the stairs," Eliot joked, Ale laughing.

"Well I'm sure not complaining," she smiled, wincing as Eliot scooped her into his arms.

"When does it stop hurting?" Ale whispered, closing her eyes. She grabbed Eliot's shirt, balling it up in her hand as Eliot carried her downstairs. He ignored the way she rested her head against his chest, and tried not to notice the smell of vanilla that found its way to his nose from Ale's dark hair.

"It's going to be gradual, Ale," Eliot answered. "The pain will become less and less until one day you wake up and you are okay."

"Pain is a lot like missing someone," Ale nodded, her eyes still shut tight. Eliot's breath caught in his throat, surprised at how true that statement was. Lately, he didn't have anyone to miss. When he had first gone into the military and had to leave his family behind, however, he knew what it was like to miss someone.

"Yes it is," Eliot nodded softly, Ale looking up into his eyes before she quickly closed them again.

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but it was just meant as a small peek into how Ale is doing. I will have up a new chapter as soon as possible.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. Landing Home

_Italy was just as beautiful as she had remembered. Ale also couldn't help but feel home as the plane touched down on the runway. Sure, she had never actually lived in Italy for longer than a couple of weeks at a time on family vacations, but she knew many people here, had relatives that based their life here, had many memories that originated from here, and it was where her parents now rested._

_It was where her heart was._

Nate watched Ale as they landed, the decent having been bumpy and probably painful for her. She was only smiling, however, her eyes filled with tears as she looked out of the window.

"Do you think this be will be when she breaks?" Sophie asked him softly.

They had all been debating when Ale wouldn't be able to smile through her pain and really face the loss of Lio. She was putting on such a strong front that the team wondered when it would crack.

She had moments where the sadness crossed her eyes, or she seemed lost in thought, but other than that Ale wasn't acting the part of a victim. She was smiling and laughing and lighting up the room no matter where she was. The team was growing to like her presence, her humor and attitude fitting with the others so well, a piece of each of them coming out in her as well as her own unique parts complimenting them so well.

Parker had taken a real interest in Ale, but for completely different reasons than the rest of the team. They all saw Ale as broken and were waiting to pick up her pieces, but Parker saw her as someone who understood, and someone who she could understand. There was something about Ale that Parker just liked…she couldn't put her finger on it. Then again, she didn't understand why she liked or disliked a lot of things.

"Are you sad because we have to bury your brother?" Parker said suddenly, Ale seeming to snap out of whatever daydream she was in.

"I am sad that Lio is gone, yes. It hurts to know he is gone and thinking about having to live without him takes my breath away. But I am not sad we are having his funeral…it is a time to celebrate him," Ale explained, Parker nodding. Nate and Sophie, as well as Hardison and Eliot, let out a deep breath, grateful Ale knew how to handle Parker. She could easily hurt so many people's feelings, and many people didn't understand her. Ale, however, just seemed to get it.

"I was sad. When my brother died. But I'm okay now so you can be okay, too," Parker said, patting Ale on the head.

The entire team froze—Parker never talked about the accident that killed her brother. After the psychic job, she locked all of her feelings away, never bringing up her family again. The fact that she had just offered a piece of herself, just to make Ale feel better, was a huge improvement.

"Thanks, Parker," Ale whispered, obviously knowing what a big step this was. Parker found her seat next to Hardison once again, talking about something she stole from Italy a few years back as if nothing had happened.

Eliot, who was sitting one seat away from Ale, watched her, wanting to know what was going on in her mind. Just like Parker, there was something about Ale that drew him in. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was there, a magnet pulling him towards her.

When it was time to get off the private plane Eliot made sure to be at Ale's side, sure she was stiff from the long flight and in a lot of pain.

"I'm okay, Eliot," Ale sighed, standing from her seat. She took a few steps, wincing as she did so.

"You sound _great_," he laughed, offering Ale his arm. Ale rolled her eyes, leaning heavily on Eliot as they made their way out of the plane.

When they got to the luggage cart Parker immediately found her bag, the small duffel being all she needed. Ale also only had a small bag, as she didn't really have any clothes to pack from at headquarters, and she hadn't wanted to go to back to her home quite yet. Sophie had gone shopping for her and picked up the necessities while Ale played video games with Hardison.

Ale grabbed her own bag, the rest of the team looking for their luggage. The minute Eliot realized Ale was carrying something he took it from her, growling a bit.

"What?" Ale shrugged, looking at Eliot.

"You shouldn't be carrying that," he grumbled, searching the airport for any threats.

"I'm basically back to normal," Ale shrugged, once again wincing. Parker poked her in the ribs, Ale immediately doubling over. Hardison pulled Parker away, a little surprised at the thief's small outburst.

"She said she was back to normal. I was checking before I took her climbing," Parker shrugged, Sophie laughing a bit. Eliot put down all of the luggage he was carrying swiftly, being at Ale's side in a second, one hand comfortingly on her back, the other on her elbow to add some support.

"Parker you are so stupid," Eliot snapped, Ale struggling to catch her breath.

"Leave her be," Ale rasped out, standing up slowly.

"She just—" Eliot started, Ale glaring at him quickly.

"She was trying to look out for me," Ale said softly, the entire team raising their eyebrows at her. It was true, Parker was checking to make sure it was safe to bring Ale climbing with her…sure there was a better way to do it, but she was being helpful nonetheless.

"She was doing a bad job," Eliot said softly, grabbing the bags and walking away quickly.

_Ale stood there, dumbfounded. She wasn't sure what she had done wrong, but Eliot was definitely mad. He was always sweet with her, and then he would just snap at any moment. Ale wasn't afraid of him, but she wanted to know what made him tick. What made him close himself off so quickly._

"_Our chariot awaits," Sophie smiled, linking her arm in Ale's for some support, both emotional and physical. _

"_Thanks, Sophie," Ale smiled, allowing the brunette to lead her out of the airport even though she most definitely knew the way herself._

_The team climbed into a car, Ale sliding into the front in order to navigate to the house where they would be staying. As Nate sat beside her Ale gave him quiet directions, the team talking loudly behind them._

"_I like the team," Ale said, looking at Nate as he stopped to let a group of kids run across the street._

"_They definitely grow on you," Nate smiled. "They like you too, you know."_

"_It will be up this next hill. On the left," Ale said, ignoring Nate's comment._

"_Are we almost there?!" Parker asked, popping in between the front seats._

"_Two more minutes. And just remember, no stealing anything from the living room. Any other room is fair game," Ale warned, Parker squealing with delight._

"_Did you hear that?!"_

_Ale smiled as the house in question came into view. It was a large villa, with beautiful vines growing up the sides of the building. The house was located at the top of the hill, looking out at the ocean. _

"_My goodness, Ale this is beautiful," Sophie gasped._

"_Thank you. It was my grandfather's. He gave it to me and Lio, and we gave it to a bunch of Lio's friends. Lio made the mistake of telling them what a fraternity was like and now you can find a good old American party house right here. They are great guys though. True gentlemen…most of the time," Ale explained, remembering all of the nights she and her brother had spent with the boys, and how all of the boys felt like brothers to her on those nights._

_When Nate parked the car amongst the other vehicles strewn on the front driveway the team grabbed their luggage, Eliot taking Ale's before she even had a change to argue._

"_Eliot, seriously. The bag weighs two pounds. Plus, these guys…they don't know yet. They don't know about my injuries and they definitely don't know about Lio. I don't need them to figure something out before I even get the chance to explain what really happened."_

_Ale wanted to plead with Eliot to not make this as big of a deal. If she let on to how hurt she was, the boys would try and take care of her, when really, they needed to focus on mourning Lio. It was the right thing to do._

_He did, after all, die because of what the man did to her. He fought for her until he died, and she was going to honor him as well as she knew how._

The house was amazing. It was the team's dream house—it had the style and grace to fit a queen, or Sophie, in this case. It had an entire media room that Hardison could fill with tons of his equipment. It had high ceilings and tall balconies for Parker to repel off of, and it had a huge gym in the basement for Eliot. And for Nate, the view of the ocean that accompanied every deck and balcony was the perfect place to get lost in thought. As Ale explained the set up of the house while slowly showing them the first floor, the team could hear a bunch of voices coming from the upstairs. There was chatter and a bit of playful yelling, as well as music thumping deeply and loudly.

"They all speak English, so Hardison you should be fine," Ale explained, looking at the one member of the team who wasn't bilingual. "And they are very, very welcoming and friendly. They don't know I'm coming, though, so be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Hardison asked as they began climbing the grand marble staircase. As soon as they reached the top a large living room appeared, couches and TV's and pin ball machines dotting the room. The walls were made of windows, giving the appearance of being in a fish bowl.

There were about fifteen boys in total, all of them doing _something_. Some of them were playing video games, others were playing fuse ball, and some were flopped on couches, watching people play video games and fuse ball. As soon as one of them noticed the team, and Ale, the entire room stopped.

"Alessandra!" they all yelled in unison, Ale laughing and dropping her bag. All at once the boys crowded around Ale, some of them ruffling her hair, others giving her a kiss on the cheek, and most of them lifting her up in their arms and spinning her around.

Eliot and Nate froze in their spots, knowing how delicate Ale's ribs were.

Sophie was a little saddened by how well Ale was covering up the pain she was in just so the boys could be happy for a few minutes.

Hardison was smiling, glad that Ale had someone _somewhere_ who loved her. He couldn't bear the thought of her being completely alone…although he didn't like the way some of the guys kissed her cheeks. Ale had become a sister to him, and wasn't so sure he liked the attention she was getting.

And Parker, well Parker was already scoping out the dozens of places she could climb and jump off of.

"They should get off of her," Eliot growled, watching as the boys swarmed little Ale.

"She can handle herself. She would make an excellent grifter, you know," Sophie smiled sadly. Eliot knew just what she meant, but that didn't help him feel any better.

The boys finally gave Ale some breathing room, one of them picking up her bag and heading up another set of stairs.

"You can follow David to the upstairs," Ale smiled. "Then once you pick your rooms we can have some introductions."

"Can I please sleep in the ceiling?" Parker asked, Ale laughing.

"My room has rafters. You are welcome to set yourself up there. Just ask David which one is mine. I hope you don't mind sharing…there's only two open rooms," Ale winced, looking sorry she hadn't mentioned it sooner.

"That's perfectly alright," Sophie smiled, glancing at the boys who were standing behind Ale. They were all good looking, fine Italian gentlemen. And they cared for Ale—she could tell.

As they followed David up the stairs the team heard the boys ask where Lio was.

"I'm getting to that," she answered, squealing a bit. The team looked over their shoulders, Ale being picked up by one of the boys and thrown across his back. Eliot growled again and Parker nudged him with her shoulder.

"And you were mad at me for poking her." Parker rolled her eyes, brushing past him on the stairs.

Eliot just sighed in response, trying to get his blood to stop boiling. When it came to Ale, however, it never seemed to stop.

**A/N: I hope you all are enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it. **

**Thank you all for your reviews…it warms my heart to know people are actually reading. Thank you, again, and a new chapter will be up as soon as possible!**


	8. Introductions and Goodbyes

"Can you all just sit down?" Ale laughed, the boys swarming around the room asking her questions that she was planning to answer as soon as they were calm. The team was sitting on a couch together, watching the chaos ensue.

"Alright, alright, let's give our best lady the floor," one of the boys said, his accent strong as he spoke. Ale looked at him gratefully, him sending a wink her way.

"Thanks, Emilio."

Sophie had remembered Ale telling her about Emilio—he was Lio's absolute best friend. Sure, he was close with all of the guys in the house, but he told everything to Emilio, and they were inseparable. Sophie also got the feeling that Emilio liked Ale, but that was a thought she kept to herself.

"Any time, Princessa," he smiled, sitting down next to one of his friends on the couch. Ale, seeing that there wasn't space on any of the couches, perched herself on the edge of the recliner Eliot had moved to once Parker had started staring at him and occasionally poking him.

"So first off, these are my friends, Sophie, Nate, Hardison, Parker, and Eliot. I expect you to be nice to them…and behave when they are around. I gave them the impression you were good guys, so let's not scare them away," Ale laughed, all of the guys welcoming the team.

"Where's Lio?" someone else asked, Ale's smile dimming.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about," she sighed. "Some guys…they took me. For the fun of it. I was an easy target. Lio hired this team," Ale explained, gesturing to the Leverage team, "to help find me. When they did, there was an accident, and Lio was shot. There was nothing the doctors could have done," Ale explained softly, the guys all taking a moment to register what she had just said.

Eliot could feel Ale shaking next to him, but she had a mask on her face that was filled with nothing but warmth and strength.

"I know that it doesn't make sense. And that you are angry, or upset, or feel nothing quite yet, but please know, Lio loved all of you. And he is very grateful that you were in his life. I'm so, so sorry," she said, the boys looking at her as if she was their rock. Emilio took one look at Ale before he began to cry, his sobs loud and gut wrenching.

"Mi fratello," Emilio cried, putting his head in his hands. Some of the boys stormed out of the room, banging and crashing anything that they could. Others sat in their spots, frozen. Some comforted others. But Emilio, he was torn apart.

Eliot could see the guilt settling into Ale's eyes as she watched her small family breaking. She thought that the boys' pain was all her fault. Eliot was about to say something when Ale stood, walking over to where Emilio sat. He was a big, burly guy, who somehow looked so small next to Ale. She put her hands on Emilio's head, pulling him towards her. Emilio immediately reacted, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

The team watched as Ale and Emilio stood together, Emilio's head resting on Ale's ribs as she stood in front of him, her arms soothingly rubbing his back, Emilio gripping Ale's shirt as if it was the only thing he could hang onto before he slipped completely away.

The entire team's hearts broke for the Alessandra…here she was, having to stand tall and act strong when she was the one with the greatest loss.

"It hurts," Emilio cried, Ale sighing.

"I know," Ale nodded, her breath hilting in her throat as she tried to soothe the man reduced to a boy in her arms. Parker stood, walking over to Ale slowly.

"What do you need, Parker?" Ale asked softly, and tiredly. Parker didn't answer, but instead put her arm around Ale, laying her head upon Ale's shoulder.

The stayed like that for a while, the rest of the team not daring to move. Slowly, the rest of the boys went to their rooms, leaving Emilio, Parker, and Ale in the middle of the room. Emilio eventually stopped crying, looking up at Ale.

"You were kidnapped," he breathed, taking Ale's face in his hands. "What did they do to you?" he asked, running the pad of his thumb over her cheek.

"I'm fine," Ale answered, taking his hands in hers. "I'm okay," she nodded.

"They broke her ribs," Parker said softly, Emilio looking at the thief. She looked so small and innocent, now standing next to Ale and Emilio instead of with them. "They broke her ribs and they dislocated her arm, and they gave her black eyes, and Sophie says that a man stole something from her," Parker said, Emilio looking at Ale with nothing but pain and worry.

"She was really hurt. But we are helping her get better," Parker shrugged, her voice barely a whisper. She didn't know what it was, but there was something pulling her to let this boy know that Ale was okay. That they weren't going to let something happen to her again. She wanted him to understand that she was safe.

"Thanks, Parker," Ale said softly, closing her eyes.

"They really hurt you?" Emilio asked, backing away from Ale just a little bit, being more careful. Ale nodded slightly, Emilio nodding back. "Did he…did he kill the man who hurt you?" Emilio asked darkly. Ale nodded again, that being all Emilio needed to find a bit of peace with what had happened.

"I'm going for a walk," Emilio sighed, standing and planting a kiss on Ale's forehead. The team watched him walk down the stairs, Ale standing as if he was still right in front of her. Sophie caught Emilio looking behind him at Ale, shaking his head slightly as he went.

"I should go check on the boys," Ale whispered, starting to walk towards the stairs. Her steps were pained, however, and it was clear that her body had taken enough of a beating for the day.

"Why don't you just rest?" Sophie offered softly. Ale looked like she was going to say no but then she nodded, Sophie standing to help her to her room. When they got to the stairs Eliot could see Ale's tentativeness and Sophie's nervousness about her climbing the grand stair case.

"May I?" Eliot asked, walking over to Ale. Those words reminded him so much of the first day Ale had woken up, the amount of fear in her eyes so large. Now, however, Ale just nodded, nothing but trust and sadness filling her green orbs.


	9. Thank Yous

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but I have been traveling and wasn't near internet. Hopefully I will be able to get a chapter up close to every day now. **

**I hope you are enjoying the story…I am definitely very grateful to those who are taking the time to read, and I love reading the reviews. Even if you aren't reviewing, thank you for reading. It means so much.**

**I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

_After Ale woke up from her much needed, yet unplanned, nap she remembered where she was and why she was there. _

_One of the hardest things she had ever done was telling the boys about Lio, and even harder was watching them fall apart around her. Feeling useless, Ale found her way downstairs, starting to cook. If there was one thing her mother always told her, it was that when the heart was hurting a good meal and people you love and help heal it._

"_You really shouldn't be reaching up to the top shelf like that," Eliot said, startling Ale. _

"_Then would you mind?" she smiled, nodding to the large pan on the top shelf._

"_Not at all, darlin'. What are you making?"_

"_Lasagna. The guys love my mom's recipe. I made it once a week whenever I came to visit."_

"_Well I would love to learn it," Eliot smiled, watching as Alessandra picked through the fridge, looking for her ingredients. _

_The two worked together silently, Ale asking Eliot to perform some small tasks as she described the recipe._

_Ale was so glad that Eliot had found her in the kitchen. She hadn't known it, but she really hadn't wanted to be alone while she cooked. Usually, she and Lio worked side by side, listening to music and bantering with each other. Before that, she and her mother would do most of the cooking as her father and brother would do mindless tasks, all of them laughing together._

"_I used to cook with my mama, back at home," Eliot offered, Ale looking at him._

"_My mom and I loved cooking together. When she first got sick, she started teaching me all of the recipes. Before that she would only reveal parts of it, basically giving me all of the jobs I'm giving you. The kitchen is where all of my best memories with her are. Except for when she used to tuck me in at night. She would brush my hair, then she would sing to me. She did it until I was sixteen years old, at least once a week. And when we would go shopping…she absolutely loved picking out clothes for me. She and Papa were much better off than her family had been, and she loved being able to give me and Lio anything we wanted. We never wanted much, though. That was how they raised us."_

"_Your family sounds amazing," Eliot said, watching Ale as a single tear found its way down her cheek._

"_They were."_

_Ale heard footsteps coming down the stairs, three of the boys finding their way into the kitchen._

"_Is that Mama's lasagna?" one of them, Antonio, asked, smiling weakly._

"_You bet," Ale nodded, the boy walking over to kiss her on the cheek._

"_I am so sorry," he whispered, Ale nodding._

"_Me too," she smiled, returning the boys kiss on the cheek._

"_Do you need any help?" another boy, Charlie, asked, also planting a kiss on Ale's cheek. _

"_If you could set the table and tell the rest of the boys that dinner will be in about an hour, that would be great," Ale sighed, the boys immediately heading back up the stairs._

"_You okay?" Eliot asked, looking at Ale._

"_I just wish that they didn't have to hurt so much," Ale shrugged._

"_Their amount of pain shows just how much Lio was loved," Eliot said, Ale smiling sadly._

"_It still sucks. And it's not fair."_

Eliot knew that what Ale really wanted to say was that she felt like the entire thing—her brother dying, the boys being upset— was her fault. That if she had left well enough alone, her brother would still be alive.

Then again, thousands of people could be dead, so there was that.

Eventually, Ale and Eliot finished dinner, the entire Leverage team finding their way into the kitchen, watching quietly as Eliot spoke softly with Ale, both of them smiling and laughing a lot.

"He seems different," Parker said, looking at Sophie and Nate. Both of them were smiling as they watched Ale with Eliot. He was different. He had always done well comforting the victims of the companies theft, and he was great with kids. With women, however, he always seemed to be flirting and putting up a front. With others he was guarded. Ale, however, relaxed him. She made him lighter, somehow.

"Yes he does," Nate nodded, smiling slightly.

When Eliot finally noticed the team he waved them over, Parker immediately bounding over to talk to Ale.

"What are we making?" Sophie asked, looking at Eliot's hands as he rolled some dough together.

"Homemade rolls. And homemade lasagna. Ale's mom's recipe," Eliot said, Hardison clapping his hands together.

"Woo, we are going to eat well tonight," he smiled. Ale laughed from her spot at the counter, handing him some plates.

"Can you set the table out that's on the balcony? I figured the team wouldn't want to eat with all of the boys," Ale smiled, Hardison nodding.

"You figured correctly," Nate said.

As Eliot and Ale finished dinner Sophie watched as they moved around the kitchen seamlessly, as if they were in a dance. It was quite beautiful.

"Nate?" Sophie whispered, Nate snapping his head towards her. He was also watching Eliot and Ale, just as mesmerized as Sophie had been.

"Yeah, Soph?"

"What's going to happen to her?"

"I really don't know."

"Do you think there is any way that we could keep her?" Nate didn't have time to answer before there was a rumbling from the staircase.

"Is dinner ready?" one of the boys shouted as all of them ran down the stairs.

"By the time you all argue about where you want to sit, yes it will be ready," Ale called. "Lance, Julio, and Josh please grab some water. And wine. We need wine."

"Yes, ma'am!" three boys saluted, Ale smiling slightly.

"You guys can head out to the table. I've got it from here," she said, Eliot looking like he was going to object before Parker grabbed his hand and dragged him out to the table. There was a pitcher of water and a few bottles of wine waiting to be poured.

"She is a girl after my own heart," Sophie sighed, pouring the wine. Ale found her way onto the balcony, a lasagna dish in her hands, some rolls and salad balanced on her other arm.

"Dig in guys. Thank you, also, for everything," Ale said, leaving the balcony before the team could say anything else.

They were quiet for a while, cutting into the food and serving it, taking in the beautiful view of the ocean.

"This hasn't felt like a job, really," Hardison said eventually, breaking the silence.

"I agree. I know we are working, and all, but Alessandra feels like a part of us," Sophie smiled, looking out at the water.

"I like her," Parker shrugged. "I cannot wait to take her repelling."

"She is a very special girl. Extremely brave," Nate nodded. "She is an amazing cook, as well," he laughed, digging into his third piece of lasagna.

Eliot remained quiet, wondering where Ale was. There was a spot for her at the table, yet it remained empty. She was probably eating with the boys, but that kind of made him upset. She had been such a constant in the team's lives for the past few weeks that it seemed odd not to have her there. She was quiet most of the time, drinking in the team and their conversations that would usually be guarded from clients. She also knew how to talk with the team, finding something that interested each member.

The whole team felt her absence at the table, and reduced to eating in silence. Eventually the sun began to set and the wine was gone, Ale still not making an appearance.

Sophie stood, going to the dining room where the boys were still eating slowly, telling stories about Lio. You could tell that their dinner was much quieter than usual, but it was a nice dinner nonetheless. Sophie was pleased with what she saw, glad that the boys were healthily healing. It would help Ale heal, as well, and wouldn't let her feel so guilty.

Ale, however, wasn't at the table.

"Um, excuse me, but where did Alessandra go?" Sophie asked, all of the boys looking at her. Emilio looked worried, setting down his wine glass.

"She said she was going to eat with you," he said, Sophie shaking her head. "She always does this. She takes care of everyone else and forgets about herself. I will find her," he sighed, standing. All of the boys looked worried, as well, obviously knowing about what happened to Ale in that cell she was held in. There was a fire in their eyes, an anger, that wasn't there when Ale had first told them about Lio.

"It's alright. You stay. We are all finished," Sophie smiled, Emilio sitting down, looking hesitant.

"Just let her go, man," one of the boys nodded, the rest of the table smiling at Sophie graciously. As she headed out of the room the boys began talking again, telling another story about Lio.

Sophie climbed the stairs, Ale nowhere to be found. On the third floor she noticed that Ale's door was open. Sophie pushed herself into the room, a staircase in the middle of the room pulling her towards Ale. Once she climbed the spiral stairs there was a small door which opened to an alcove in the roof. There was a small couch and table, Ale sitting criss cross applesauce on the sofa, papers spread all around her on the table, a glass of wine in her hand as she looked at the table.

"With Mama and Papa, I had time. Choosing a casket was easy, because it seemed like it was just in case. We all went through and picked the verses together. I would read this poetry book to Mama, and while I did I held her hand. When she liked a poem, she would squeeze my fingers. She didn't know it, but I marked all of them. Whenever she squeezed my fingers, she was choosing another piece to be read. We never read anything from the Bible. It wasn't personal enough. I did the same thing with Papa, too. Read through that entire book, him nodding with each verse he liked. Many of them were the same my Mama had chosen. They had the same heart, those two," Ale said, not looking up from the papers on the table.

Sophie sat down next to Ale on the sofa, tucking her legs up under her. Ale seemed to be in a trance, the words falling out of her mouth easily. Sophie was so entranced that she didn't remember her com in her ear.

The rest of the team forgot they were wearing theirs as well, all of them cleaning up the plates from dinner in the kitchen when they heard Ale's voice for the first time. They all stopped what they were doing, listening as their Ale spoke.

"But with Lio, it's like…I can't imagine picking out a casket or readings or songs or anything because I can't imagine he's gone. It's been two weeks, and it still feels like he's on vacation. Or at school. And I had to call all of my relatives. The ones that are left, anyway. They can't believe it either. When someone is sick, like Mama and Papa were, you get more time. You know they are going to die. Sure, it was stupid Papa died for the reason he did, and it wasn't fair the way Mama went either. But we had time. We said things we knew we needed to say. Sure, we didn't get as much time as we needed, and we never knew when they were going to go, but we said things. My Papa told me what type of boy I should marry, and told Lio what type of boy I should marry so he could look out for me, and Mama told me all of her recipes, and she told me I was beautiful every day because sometimes you just need to hear that you are beautiful from you mom. She wrote me and Lio letters, and so did Papa. One for our wedding days, for each of our birthdays. We had time. But Lio is just gone. He didn't leave anything behind. He left no letters, or requests. He just left."

"He left you behind, Ale," Sophie said softly, Ale looking at her for the first time, her eyes filled with tears that refused to drop.

"I wish he hadn't," Ale said, her voice filled with anger.

The team let out a breath, knowing what it felt like to wish they were dead. Eliot went through a time in his life where he thought it be better that he was dead than putting his family in danger. Sophie had so many different aliases it sometimes felt like she didn't exist at all. When Sam died, Nate felt over and over that he could have, and should have, taken his place. Parker wanted to disappear into nothingness when her brother died. And Hardison, well when Hardison was buried in a coffin during a job, he would have rather have been dead than having to relive the nightmares.

Hearing that Ale wished she was gone, however, broke their hearts. Here was this girl, this wonderful girl, who was so brave, and beautiful, and smart, who had such an influence on so many people and had so much magic in her, and she wished that she was gone because it hurt her so much to be alone.

It wasn't fair.

Sophie took Ale's wine from her hand, allowing her to lay down in her lap and sobs wracked her body. The team downstairs took out their coms, not being able to handle the sound of Ale crying like she was.

"Nate?" Parker said, looking at the eldest member of the team.

"Yes, Parker?"

"I am glad that Lio left her behind," the thief said, looking to Nate to ensure that it was an okay thing to feel.

"Me too, Parker," Nate nodded, pulling the thief into his chest.

'Me too' thought Eliot. Then, for the first time in a long time, Eliot prayed, thanking the universe for keeping Ale with the team, instead of allowing her to go with her family.


	10. The Funeral

_Ale had been dreading the funeral of her brother since the moment she landed in Italy. She wasn't ready to say goodbye, in any means. By burying him in the ground, he was really dead. She couldn't fathom him being gone._

_It was finally the day of the burial, and Ale was in full planning mode. She figured that if she was busy comforting others and making sure everything was in place, then she wouldn't have time to be upset._

_She dressed in a simple black dress, one that made her look beautiful and she would have loved if it weren't for the circumstances. Sophie had picked it up from the store for her, and she did an excellent job picking out the classic style dress for Ale._

_After she had cried in Sophie's lap two nights ago, Ale had basically closed herself in her room, avoiding the team like the plague. She was constantly checking on the boys, though, and was on the phone with family members and the funeral home. When the team did catch glimpses of her, she was talking in Italian rapidly, them only catching bits and pieces of the conversations._

_It was time to face the music, however, and go to the funeral._

_Ale climbed down the stairs to the first floor, all of the boys waiting in the entry way. It was a sea of black and blue, the boys dressed sharply in their suits. Ale smiled at the sight, not used to seeing her usually rambunctious counterparts all dressed up._

"_Si guarda bella," Emilio smiled, taking Ale's arm in his. The team was also downstairs, standing in their own group. Ale smiled at them, glad that Emilio had gotten to her before they did. She didn't want the team to worry about her, because when they were around, she felt like she could crumble. She knew they would take care of her, and that comfort was a luxury she wouldn't allow herself on the day of her brother's funeral. It should be about Lio, not her._

"_Grazie," Ale smiled, accepting Emilio's kiss on the cheek._

"_Is everyone ready?" she asked, all of the boys looking at her. They nodded solemnly, the mood extremely low. _

"_Are you riding with us, dear?" Sophie asked, Ale shaking her head slightly._

"_I'm going to ride with Emilio. Thank you, though," she smiled._

"Why isn't she talking to us?" Parker asked the team once they were closed in the car, following behind Ale and Emilio as well as the rest of the boys in their cars.

"I think it's hard, Parker. She is trying to be strong, but we have seen her at her lowest. We have seen her broken, and it's hard to put up a strong front when there are people around you who know you aren't okay," Nate explained.

"But it's our job to help her. Lio told me so," Parker mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Eliot felt for Parker. He hadn't seen her connect with anyone other than the team like she had with Ale in a long time. In a way, it was like Parker saw Ale as a pet. It was her personal mission to care for her.

Eliot also felt bad that Ale was trying to be so strong. He knew it was her way of not breaking completely, but at the same time, it was heart wrenching to watch the mask of strength fall over her eyes.

"She looked beautiful today. Hauntingly so, but beautiful, nonetheless," Sophie whispered, looking out the window.

When they had finally arrived at the cemetery Ale greeted the priest who was in charge of the ceremony, the boys finding seats immediately. As it grew closer to the ceremony more and more people showed up, all of the seats completely taken by elderly guests, many others standing around the seats.

_Ale had no clue that so many people would show up for Lio's funeral. She knew that he had a lot of friends, but she had only been able to call so many._

"_We took the liberties of calling some people," Julio whispered in Ale's ear. "Hope you don't mind."_

"_Thank you," Ale whispered, grabbing his hand. The team sat in a row behind Ale, her pressed between a few of the boys. _

_The ceremony was beautiful, and everyone felt so at peace by the time the priest was done speaking. Emilio had the hardest time during the funeral, crying the whole time, Ale comforting him instead of the other way around._

"_And now Alessandra, Cecilio's sister, would like to close out today's service."_

_Ale's heart stopped, dread washing over her. She had spoken at her Mama and Papa's funerals, but this would be so much harder._

"_When my Mama died, my Papa and Lio sat on either side of me at the funeral. They protected me and comforted me and made sure I was okay. Later, when my Papa died, Lio sat beside me, protecting me and comforting me and making sure I was okay. Today I kept waiting for his hand to wrap in mine, to comfort me and to protect me. That is what Lio did. His whole life he made people feel so safe. He made them feel alive and proud of who they were. He was my guard and my best friend. As I walk through life I will continue to feel his hand in mine, as he continues to protect and comfort me and to make sure I am okay in a whole new way. I want to thank you all for coming today…if Lio were here he would thank you for supporting him and being present in his life. He truly loved everyone he met and he had faith in his family and friends—through you he could do anything. It is through him, however, that I can do anything. Lio will be greatly missed, but never, ever forgotten," Ale said, only a few tears slipping from her eyes. _

_The words that Ale spoke seemed to ring true to every person at the service, her voice being the thing that caused many tears to fall. _

_Ale found her way back to her seat, immediately comforting Emilio. As the casket was lowered into the ground Ale closed her eyes, refusing to watch her brother be buried. _

As people found their way to their cars Ale made sure to thank every single one of them for coming, taking the time to tell them how much they meant to Lio. The team watched as she comforted any guest who was upset, smiled at those who needed some kind of light, and hugged those who needed something to hold onto. By the end, the boys had all left, heading back to the house to get ready for a special ceremony they wanted to put on for Lio.

Ale looked exhausted as she thanked the people from the funeral home. She left flowers on her Papa and Mama's graves, leaving some to be put on Lio's once all of the dirt had been placed over his casket. The family was buried together, just waiting for Ale to lie beside them.

"Should I go hug her?" Parker asked, looking at the team.

"I think that would be fine, Mama," Hardison smiled, nodding at the little thief.

Parker walked over to Ale, throwing her arms around her. Ale seemed surprised at first, but then melted into the hug, seeming grateful that Parker was there—as Parker was definitely grateful that Ale was there.

**A/N: Short chapter but it's just a peek at the funeral. The next chapter will be up soon. Thank you for reading!**

**(The Italian in this chapter means 'you look beautiful' and 'thank you').**


	11. To Lio

When the team got back to the house the boys were running all around, suits half on, pool noodles flying between them and a lot of yelling taking place.

Sophie looked at Ale, who was smiling tiredly. The team and Ale found their way into the living room downstairs, Ale looking at them.

"Thank you guys so much for everything you have done. I don't know how I would have gotten through these past few weeks without you. And I can't thank you enough for finding me. Lio wouldn't have been able to live with himself if something had happened to me. I know he died in peace because of you," Ale smiled, handing each of them a wrapped gift.

"I know it's not much, but I thought you all could use something as payment for what you have done. You all accepted me into your little family, and I am so grateful."

"You didn't have to get us anything," Nate said, clearing his throat. "We got our payment from the company when we shut it down."

"The payment you deserve to have is so much larger than that of money," Ale smiled. "Now, I booked your flight for tonight…I know there are tons of other people waiting for your help back in Boston. You have a private plane that will be waiting for you in about an hour."

"You aren't coming back with us?" Hardison asked, the news shocking. In his mind, Ale was going to come back to Boston and stay in Nate's guest room forever.

Nate was disappointed that Ale was not returning back with them. He was hoping she would become a part of the team. He hadn't said anything to her, however, so he knew that it was a far-fetched idea. Ale was the type of girl who felt like a burden unless she was told otherwise.

Sophie wasn't surprised that Ale wasn't coming right back to Boston…she knew that Ale needed some time to find herself again. It made sense. She did have a strong feeling that the girl wasn't going to completely disappear, though.

Parker was a little sad that Ale wasn't flying back with them, but she was excited that she was going to have an excuse to come to Italy a whole lot more—there were great things to steal and she couldn't wait to steal with Ale.

Eliot, however, was upset. He didn't understand how he was supposed to protect Ale if she was a million miles away. He was trying to not be angry, or to miss Ale, especially when they hadn't even left yet, but he couldn't help it…she had found a place in his heart.

"No. I'm not. I have some things to go through here. I have to clean out Lio's room here, and go back to our family apartment and finish going through Mama and Papa and Lio's things. Put them up for sale, finalize the deeds, things like that. Some of my older family members need to be checked on, and the boys here will need me for a while. I will be back in a few weeks. For now, though, I'm needed here," Ale explained, the smile bright on her face. "You guys have my number, though, so don't hesitate to call. I know I can't contact you, since you are all getting new contacts and burner phones since the last job. Once you get settled, though, please contact me. You all mean so much to me," Ale whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Hardison was the first one to hug her, pulling her tightly into his chest. He whispered something in her ear and then headed up to his room to pack. Sophie hugged her next, taking her and Hardison's gift in her hands.

Parker gave Ale a high five, promising to see her soon. Nate placed a simple kiss on Ale's forehead, telling her not to be a stranger.

Eliot was the last one left, looking at Ale. She looked stronger than when the team had found her in the cell, but her eyes looked sadder. He hated leaving her. He wanted to help her and make her feel something other than sadness.

He couldn't, though. Anyone he ever let into his heart got hurt. He was the reason her brother was dead. He was the reason that so many others were dead. Ale deserved so much better than Eliot.

So instead of telling Ale how much she meant to him, he simply nodded at her and left, quickly packing his clothes and waiting in the car. The more he thought about leaving, the more Eliot wanted to hold Ale close and explain everything about his life to her.

That ship had sailed, however, the minute he left her standing in the living room, alone.

_Ale wanted nothing more than to jump onto the plane with the Leverage team. She loved each and every one of them, and they all held a piece of her heart. She couldn't go with them, though. She had so much to take care of here…and she couldn't allow herself to find another family when hers had already gone. It wasn't right._

_So instead, she said her goodbyes and gave them their carefully chosen gifts. All of the members had given her the perfect goodbye…except for Eliot. He had surprised Ale._

_Ale thought that the two would hug, that Eliot would object to her staying, or would have offered to help her for a while. Instead, he just left._

_Ale shouldn't have been surprised…Eliot was _the_ Eliot Spencer. He had thousands of girls after his heart and he didn't have time for a simple girl like Ale. She was just a job to him, and now that the job was done so were they. It wasn't like they had shared anything, either. Just words, smiles, and free rides up the stairs._

_The connection she thought they had was a fallacy, something Ale made up to consume her thoughts over thoughts of all she had lost. When Eliot looked at her with nothing in his eyes, she understood. She was just a job to all of them. They didn't need her around and they certainly didn't want her. It was better this way._

_Once the team had left Ale joined the boys, changing into her swimsuit and slipping a big sweatshirt over her bikini. She and the boys hopped into their cars, driving to a secret spot they always visited._

_Many summer nights had been spent at the spot on the hill, Lio, Ale, Emilio, and all of the boys having bonfires and campouts at the beautiful location. Thick trees parted to make a perfect circle on the edge of a cliff, the sky clear and the air crisp as the trees surrounded them._

_The boys, and Ale, all sat around on blankets, telling stories about Lio. Ale found it all to be too much, though, so she walked over to the edge of the cliff, dark water at the base of the precipice._

"_I miss you," Ale whispered, looking up at the sky, the stars blinking back as if they were listening._

_Ale closed her eyes, feeling one of the boy's arms wrap around her. _

"_To Lio?" the boy asked, Ale realizing it was Emilio. Ale opening her eyes to see all of the boys behind her. _

"_To Lio," she smiled, nodding her head. _

_Ale then took a deep breath…and jumped._

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**

**I know it is kind of a lame ending and leaves many questions…but it is not the end of Ale and the team! The next installment of the Alessandra stories will be called Defender of Men and the first chapter is up right now!**

**I hope you enjoyed the first part of the series, and I also hope you continue to read about Alessandra and the team as they deal with life and corruption, as well as their own demons.**

**I have big plans for Ale, the team, and, of course, Ale and Eliot, so stay tuned. Thank you so much!**


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